2016 Legislative Agenda

The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA) 2016 Legislative Agenda was developed over a period of several months with input from the state’s police chiefs, law enforcement leaders and stakeholder groups. Members of the organization’s Legislative Committee, which is made up of public safety professionals at the municipal and state levels, discussed, vetted and prioritized the agenda.

The MCPA Board of Directors approved the final agenda on January 21, 2016.

Body-worn camera data classification – The MCPA supports classifying and clearly clarifying when body-worn camera footage is public and accessible and addressing the unprecedented privacy concerns created by the technology and the incredible value body-worn cameras bring to improving public safety and enhancing police/community relations.Click here to learn more about the MCPA's guiding principals on body-worn cameras

Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROS) – The MCPA supports allowing law enforcement, qualified health care practitioners, family members and intimate partners who believe an individual’s dangerous behavior has a substantial likelihood to lead to violence to request an order from a civil court authorizing law enforcement to temporarily remove any guns in the individual's possession and to prohibit new gun purchases for the duration of the order.

Statewide licensing of massage parlors – The MCPA supports providing consistency in licensing and centralized oversight of massage parlors in Minnesota to aid local law enforcement in the fight against sexual exploitation, sex trafficking and prostitution.

Funding for Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) – The MCPA supports helping agencies pay for officers to attend CIT, a highly specialized training that prepares law enforcement to more effectively handle calls where they deal with individuals in a mental health crisis. According to a 2014 MCPA survey, approximately 95% of MN law enforcement agencies say such calls have increased over the last five years with 20% of agencies saying the calls more than doubled in the last 5 years.

Criminal Background Checks– The MCPA supports preventing individuals who are not legally able to purchase a gun from doing so without background checks at gun shows, online or in private transactions.

POST Board reimbursement allocation increase – The MCPA supports increasing annual POST training reimbursement allocation to local jurisdictions and mandating annual continuing education requirements as stated in the association’s mission of bringing the highest quality of police services and leadership to the people of Minnesota. Reimbursement has declined for several years from $424.22 in 2002 to $321.81 in 2014 for each eligible officer. The 2014 amount of $321.81 is less than the 20-year average amount of $364.53.

Law Enforcement Integrity Act– The MCPA supports allowing for a Minnesota Licensed Peace Officer to be terminated from public employment without opportunity to challenge the remedy of termination should the basis for termination be willful or intentional dishonesty, deception, or similar unethical or illegal conduct that is deemed sufficient to imperil their credibility in court testimony. The Integrity Act must not limit a Peace Officer’s due process right to arbitration with regard to the conduct being alleged by the employer.

Expanding state regulations on party buses – The MCPA supports expanding regulations on party buses to prohibit nude adult entertainment and connecting violations of this law and of underage alcohol consumption to the state registration of the bus. The MCPA supports such efforts to prevent sex trafficking and residual crime connected to party buses, such as disorderly conduct, assault and firearms violations.

Protecting Community Service Officers (CSO) and hospital security personnel– The MCPA supports amending MN/SS 609.2231 to include CSOs and Hospital Security Personnel that are employed by a government entity providing security services at a licensed hospital. The amendment would enhance penalties for individuals convicted of assaulting CSOs and Hospital Security Personnel.

Amending 609.5312 to include money laundering – The MCPA supports closing the loop hole in 609.5312 that creates a barrier preventing law enforcement seeking to make victims whole through restitution resulting from forfeited assets. The MCPA supports amending the statute to include Concealing Criminal Proceeds and Engaging in Business of Concealing Criminal Proceeds, which by definition are the State’s terms for money laundering.